Instagram is so much more than just square photos in an app. It is a vast social universe, chock-full of thousands of weird and wonderful subcultures. I love that we can choose our own accounts to follow, and have control over the type of content that we see. With that said, the market has become so saturated these days, it can be really easy to miss out on some truly amazing accounts that offer real value. Not to mention that our lizard brains just want to see abs and butts on repeat. ABS AND BUTTS!

Never fear my friend, I got you. I’ve compiled a list of the best Instagram accounts to follow for daily motivation and inspiration. My favourite accounts come from a variety of different corners of the Insta-verse, including travel (of course), self-love, alternative living, and general badassery. Though from different niches, these accounts all have something very important in common. That being, they all really focus on bringing you value, and want to help you to improve your life. In case you didn’t know by now, that’s my jam.😉

Before we get to the list, a super quick disclaimer: Each of the instagram accounts listed below are people that have motivated me personally, and I love to follow. No endorsements. Also, there will still be some abs and butts. Enjoy!

Motivation to pick up the camera & travel

In 2016, Steph left London airport on a plane with her hubby, and they have been on a never-ending adventure ever since! She boasts a number of really knowledgeable travel guides, including in-depth itineraries, and how-to guides for a number of different countries. An all-rounder, she also has an amazing set of Lightroom editing tutorials which she regularly demonstrates on her Instagram stories. Steph shows you the tricks of the trade, making it seem possible that you too could take professional, insta-worthy pics. Her photos are truly incredible, and always get me so inspired to do more travelling, particularly in Asia. Also, she smiles a lot, and I dig that.

Ben is a 21 year old filmmaker who embraces life, working on a multitude of creative projects that take him all over the world. He has rubbed shoulders with some of the world’s most famous athletes and YouTubers, been to some crazy festivals, and recently documented his journey around Europe using only Red Bull as a bartering tool. Last year, he also started his own clothing line, and competed in a 400m race up a giant freaking ski jump! What I love about Ben’s journey is that you literally have no idea what he’ll be up to next. He is someone who grabs the bull by the horns, and takes every opportunity that comes his way. Shouldn’t we all be doing this?

Alternative Living

Elayna is one half of an Australian couple who live the ultimate vagabond life: circumnavigating the globe in their sailboat. Despite having no idea how to sail initially, they have managed to travel over 7o,ooo nautical miles across multiple oceans. They’ve suffered terrifying storms, pirate scares, financial breakdowns, equipment failures, water shortages, and other interesting mishaps, but would never give up their dream for a life on land. I appreciate that kind of resilience. They use their social presence as a means to inspire others to explore alternative options of living, and to spread ocean awareness. If you like Elayna’s account, make sure to also check out her hubby too, @riley.whitelum.

Sina and Carsten are German adventurers who are all about embracing that van life. At the end of 2016, they quit their jobs to make their dream of a small home on wheels come true. They successfully converted their van and began living out their goals of seeing more of the world, living with less, stay healthy, and being free. Since then, they haven’t looked back, and are currently making their way through Asia. What I like so much about this account is that they make it look so cozy, and fun. Just two genuine people who love to explore, and have let us in on their amazing journey. Every time that I see a picture from them, it reminds to live with purpose everyday.

Fitness

Rob is Ireland’s leading lifestyle and fitness influencer, quickly taking the world by storm. He is a sponsored athlete, a YouTuber and an entrepreneur, running Lipsett Fitness, Raw Gym Dublin, and The Creator Agency. Unlike most fitness personalities, he focuses on delivering value to all aspects of your life, not just your physique. While still providing valuable health and fitness information, he also teaches you how to be successful doing what you love, while maintaining a healthy lifestyle. The gym is not always the most important part of the day, which I like. Rob’s crazy adventures traveling around the world, his contagious smile, and positive outlook, will be certain to motivate you to improve your life.

Nutty Foodie Fitness a.k.a Stephanie Joshi is hilariously silly and genuine. Sure, she’s ridiculously ripped and all that, but don’t be fooled, she brings far more value than your average fitspo account. Her mission is to teach you that if you put in the hard work at the gym, you can eat lots of delicious, food, without the need to restrict yourself. More than that, she encourages and inspires people to be courageous, chase their goals, and live life to the absolute fullest. With her raw, informative captions and stories, she will motivate you to become the best version of yourself in the most positive and entertaining way possible. Bonus points for doing all of this while simultaneously working her 9-5 as a graphic designer!

Positive vibes

A very simple but brilliant idea, GPN shares positive news stories daily. The aim of the account is for you to read heart-warming stories, get inspired, and be excited about life. From people secretly paying off the hospital bills of others, to police officers swimming through frozen lakes to save puppies, it’s got everything you need to restore your faith in humanity. Guaranteed to put a smile on your face, and a nice way to add some authentic goodness to your feed, GPN is my Insta-saviour!

Ckelso a.k.a Caroline Kelso Zook is a visual artist and authenticity enthusiast. Her carefully crafted Instagram account is bursting with vibrant colour, and wholesome quotes. The in-depth captions are just amazing too; they are so real and honest, that sometimes they just floor me. Her honesty about personal struggles always serve as a practical reminder that we’re all fighting through something, and not everything on Instagram is as rosy as it seems. Her inspiring words focus on self-love, positivity, and mindset building. Caroline’s account has served as a pick-me-up more times that I can count, saving me from giving in to negative thoughts, and motivating me to keep working on my goals.

General Badassery

Sarah Marquis is a Swiss explorer, speaker and writer who was recently nominated as National Geographic Adventurer of the Year. Her powerful stories have much to offer about the resilience of people, and how we’re so much tougher than we think. Sarah recently spent three months traveling the west coast of Tasmania alone, collecting data on plant life for the Australian government. While on this trip, she accidentally fell into a gorge, and broke her shoulder. Nonetheless, she continued on, carrying her 35kg backpack on it for three more days until she eventually received treatment. Sarah shows you the power of personal growth, overcoming fear, and listening to your instincts.

David is an accomplished endurance athlete, having completed over 60 ultra-marathons, triathlons, and ultra-triathlons, setting new course records, and regularly placing in the top five. He even once held the Guinness World Record for pull-ups, completing 4,030 in 17 hours. Yet, all of the awards mean nothing to him. He’s all about achieving his personal best and pushing himself well past his comfort zone, just to see what he’s made of. This guy changed my life, and was the inspiration for my 40% rule article. The motivational videos he posts on Instagram will be sure to get you fired up, as he discusses his transformation from overweight and lazy to super fit and motivated, and how you can too.

Self Love

Marie Wold is a powerhouse of inspiration and self love. She is an expert on fitness and nutrition, and a certified personal trainer, but certainly no one trick pony. Marie’s content revolves around taking care of yourself as a whole: mind, body, and soul. She teaches physical wellness (fitness & nutrition), mental wellness (life coaching & healthy habits), and how to live a fulfilling life (being your best, happy self!). For Marie, mindset is a powerful thing than that either help you, or destroy you, and she wants to make sure you have the best one that you can possibly have. You can tell that she really loves what she does because it just beams through her, which in itself is really inspiring and motivating.

Paul Fishman is a self love coach from San Diego, U.S.A. He thinks of self love as a form of medicine, and puts all of his efforts into helping people live a life full of joy, passion, and laughter. His Instagram is full of helpful advice, inspiration, colour, and most importantly giggles. He even offers some delicious and nutritious plant based recipes, to help you feel and become your healthy best. Paul is a ray of sunshine, and always brightens up my day when I see his posts. He’s funny, cheeky and gives great advice – what’s not to love?

Next Level Realness & NO BS self-development

I just couldn’t write this list without mentioning Gary Vee. Gary is literally the king of meaningful content, pumping out insane levels of useful advice everyday. His Instagram account serves as the ultimate fuel to fire you up, and get after your goals. His no excuses approach is all about encouraging self-responsibility and accountability, making you realise that the only thing that’s standing in the way of your dreams, is you. Gary is all about authenticity, accountability, and hard damn work. He will motivate, inspire, and educate you to know nothing is impossible when you take calculated, consistent, and patient action on your goals. Gary is also a master investor and CEO, giving out excellent marketing and branding advice for free. If you’re stuck trying to do anything in life, Gary is sure to help you take action.

Mel Robbins is a master at inspiring positive change. She is a vlogger, serial entrepreneur, motivational speaker, and the CEO of The Confidence Project. You’ve probably heard of ‘the 5 second rule’, the principle that teaches you to count down from 5 and then just take action on whatever it is you’re procrastinating – she came up with that! Mel gives tons of valuable lessons on managing anxiety, developing the right mindset, dealing with tough situations, being kinder to yourself, and just how to live a happier, and more successful life. She is super relatable, and really has thought of every possible excuse you could come up with, and gives you a reason to push through anyway. Now, 5-4-3-2-1, follow her!

Did your favourite make the list?

I really hope that you found some awesome new accounts to follow that will help keep you inspired long into 2019.😎

Are you following some other amazing accounts that didn’t make the list? If so, please let me know what your best Instagram accounts are in the comment section below. I want to follow them too!

Get Motivated!

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Discover Improve researches a variety of self-development topics to bring you fresh perspectives on how we think and live. Everything I write about is something that I have personally tried in my life, bringing you a unique perspective.